Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/911

 JUSTICE AND CRIME 789

scrvatoire des Arts et Metiers at Paris (with 20 evening courses on the applied sciences and social economy), the Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manu- factures, the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, 12 higher schools of commerce with about 600 pupils, dependent on the Ministry of Commerce; the National Agronomic Institute at Paris, the Veterinary school at Alfort a school of forestry at Nancy, national agricultural schools at Grignon Rennes, Montpellier, 46 practical schools of Agriculture, &c., dependent on the Ministry of Agriculture ; the Ecole Polytechnique, the Ecole Superieure de Guerre, the military school at St. Cyr, the Ecole de Cavalerie at Saumur, and other schools dependent on the Ministry of War ; the Naval School at Brest dependent on the Ministry of Marine ; the School of Mines at Paris, the School of Bridges and Roads at Paris, with other schools dependent on the Ministry of Public Works ; the School of Mines at St. Etienne, and the Schools of Miners at Alais and Douai ; the Ecole Coloniale at Paris, dependent on the Ministry of the Colonies. The Ecole des Beaux Arts, the Ecole Nationale des Arts Decoratifs, and the Conservatoire de Musique et de Declamation depend on the department of the Under Secretary for the Fine Arts, which is attached to the Ministry of Public Instruction. In the provinces there are National schools of fine arts, and schools of music, and also several municipal schools as well as free subventioned schools, etc.

Technical schools of a somewhat lower grade (dependent on the Ministry of Commerce) are very numerous, comprising six national sclmols of arts and trades (Aix, Angers, Chalons, Cluny, Lille, Paris), two schools of horo- logy, four national professional schools, 33 practical schools of commerce and industry (of which seven are for girls), 20 practical schools of industry ; there are also 35 schools of industries, with 5,550 pupils ; 13 municipal professional schools in Paris, with 1,385 pupils, and about 370 private schools, with 92,000 pupils.

Justice and Crime.

The Courts of lowest jurisdiction in France are those of the Justices of Peace [jitges dc paix, one in each canton) who try small civil cases and act also as judges of Police Courts, where all petty offences {contraventions) are disposed of. The Correctional Courts pronounce upon all graver offences [cUlits), including cases involving imprisonment up to 5 years. They have no jury, and consist of 3 judges belonging to the civil tribunals of first instance. In all cases of a cUlit or a crime the preliminary inquiry is made in secrecy by an examining magistrate {juge d" instruction), who may either dismiss the case or send it for trial before a court where a public prosecutor (Prociireur) endeavours to prove the charge. The Court of Assizes is assisted by 12 jurors, who decide by simple majority on the fact with respect to offences amounting to crimes. The highest courts are the 26 Courts of Appeal, composed each of one President and a variable number of members, for all criminal cases which have been tried without a jury ; and one Court of Cassation which sits at Paris, for all criminal cases tried by jury, so far as regards matters of law.

For civil cases, wherein the amount in dispute is between 200 and 1,500 francs, there is, in each arrondissement, a tribunal of first instance ; above these are the Appeal Courts and the Court of Cassation. For commercial cases there are, in 226 towns. Tribunals of Commerce and Councils of experts (prud'hommes). In the towns are police courts. Throughout France there were 2,890 justices of the peace in 1908, 22 being in Paris.

All Judges are nominated by the President of the Republic. They can